Steve Gosney, Kremer Signs MD

Who are you?

Steve Gosney.

What does it say on your business card?

Managing Director of Kremer Signs.

How long has Kremer Signs been trading?

Established in 1984 in a small single unit, today we trade from 4 locations within the UK giving us a total production capacity in excess of 40,000 sq.ft. offering local knowledge with national strength.

Kremer Signs relocated last year, tell us more…

As part of our expansion plan, 2015 saw Kremer Signs relocate our Newbury based head office to a 15,000 sq.ft. State of the art production facility. This move was a strategic investment and with the additional space, we have become our own stockists, enabling us to satisfy high demand without the requirement to wait on raw materials. We also have more capacity which has allowed us to continue growing the business and investigate further acquisitions.

You recently made significant investment into two new printers, how will this benefit the business?

We have invested a total of £750,000.00 into two new top of the range wide format printers. The Océ Arizona 6160 XTS has the print capability to print up to 155m² per hour, which will result in production turnaround times being 4 times faster than their current set up, reducing lead times on all orders, resulting in an enhanced customer experience.

We were very excited to announce the investment into the two new wide format printers, as part of our 2016 plans. We are continually researching and investing in the latest technology to offer our customers the best product and service.

We have seen a much higher demand from independent agents spread across the UK and another benefit from the new machines is that we can produce smaller runs at competitive rates, with a quick turnaround.

How do you see the role of signage for estate agency brands developing over the next few years?

The role of signage to estate agents has always been a very important marketing tool, and I can’t see this changing. Boards are the most cost effective form of marketing available to an agent and is often the deciding factor to the public if an agent gets an instruction or not, boards are the perfect way of increasing brand awareness, showcasing your property portfolio and generating leads within your local area. Online marketing definitely has its role but with boards still generating just over 50% of all enquiries I think they are here to stay.

What are your goals for 2016?

We currently service 60% of UK agents for the supply of their estate agency boards, and as you can imagine we would love to be able to improve this and gain a stronger hold of the market share.

The goal we have to increase capacity and improve on our delivery lead times will be met by the end of February once the two new printers have been installed, which will keep lead times down to between 5-10 working days, even in peak times.

What is your greatest achievements in your current role and what made it so special?

We have recently experienced success in a number of different award ceremony’s which are directly related to the property sector. Over the past 2 years we have won the Gold award twice in the prestigious Negotiator Awards (never been done before) and once in The Sunday Times Estate Agency of the Year Awards, for the ‘Supplier of the Year’ category. We are still to date the only signage supplier to have won the two awards, which has solidified our position as the UK’s number one supplier of signage to the property sector, which was a very proud moment for myself and the company as a whole.

What is the most satisfying part of your job?

After 30+ years, the buzz is still the positive feedback we get from our customers, and hearing how our signage products have helped them generate new business and captured new instructions. We work hard to capture new business and most of the new business we gain is from word of mouth/recommendation, which is testament to our team, working hard on the quality of both product and service.

What is your property prediction for 2016?

The general feedback from our customers is that the year has started off well and that agents are busy. The past 5 years has showed good growth within the property sector, and I predict and hope that this growth continues in the same vein, but agents will need to work hard for instructions in a crowded market.

House or apartment? House.

City or countryside? Countryside.

Modern and stylish or period and original? Modern

Rent or buy? Buy.

Kirstie Allsopp or Phil Spencer? Kirstie Allsopp.